2 Thessalonians 1 · Verse 3

2 Thessalonians 1:3

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

2 Thessalonians 1:3, King James Version

2 Thessalonians 1:3 in other translations

BSB	We are obligated to thank God for you all the time, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith is growing more and more, and your love for one another is increasing.
WEB	We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you toward one another abounds,
ASV	We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth;
YLT	We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because increase greatly doth your faith, and abound doth the love of each one of you all, to one another;
DARBY	We ought to thank God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, because your faith increases exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all towards one another abounds;
BBE	It is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, because of the great increase of your faith, and the wealth of your love for one another;
Webster	We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth;

What does 2 Thessalonians 1:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. We are bound--Greek, "We owe it as a debt" (2Th 2:13). They had prayed for the Thessalonians (1Th 3:12) that they might "increase and abound in love"; their prayer having been heard, it is a small but a bounden return for them to make, to thank God for it. Thus, Paul and his fellow missionaries practice what they preach (1Th 5:18). In 1Th 1:3, their thanksgiving was for the Thessalonians' faith, love, and patience"; here, for their exceeding growth in faith, and for their charity abounding. "We are bound" expresses the duty of thanksgiving from its subjective side as an inward conviction. "As it is meet," from the objective: side as something answering to the state of circumstances [Alford]. Observe the exact correspondence of the prayer (1Th 3:12, "The Lord make you to abound in love") and the answer, "The love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth" (compare 1Th 4:10). meet--right.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 3. We are bound to thank God always for you. 1Thes 1:2.

As it is meet. As it is fit or proper.

Became that your faith groweth exceedingly. It would seem probable from this, that Paul had heard from them since his first epistle was written. He had doubtless received intelligence of the error which prevailed among them respecting his views of the coming of the Lord Jesus, and of the progress which the truth was making, at the same time.

And the charity of every one of you all toward each other. Your mutual love.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 Your faith groweth exceedingly - The word ὑπεραυξανει signifies to grow luxuriantly, as a good and healthy tree planted in a good soil; and if a fruit tree, bearing an abundance of fruit to compensate the labor of the husbandman. Faith is one of the seeds of the kingdom; this the apostle had sowed and watered, and God gave an abundant increase. Their faith was multiplied, and their love abounded; and this was not the case with some distinguished characters only, it was the case with every one of them.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

Where there is the truth of grace, there will be an increase of it. The path of the just is as the shining light, which shines more and more unto the perfect day. And where there is the increase of grace, God must have all the glory. Where faith grows, love will abound, for faith works by love. It shows faith and patience, such as may be proposed as a pattern for others, when trials from God, and persecutions from…

Read the full comment on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 →

2 Thessalonians 1:3 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΕὐχαριστεῖνEucharisteinTo thankG2168

ὀφείλομενopheilomenwe oughtG3784

τῷtō<the>G3588

θεῷtheōGodG2316

πάντοτεpantotealwaysG3842

περὶpericoncerningG4012

ὑμῶν,humōnyou,G4771

ἀδελφοί,adelphoibrothers,G80

καθὼςkathōseven asG2531

ἄξιόνaxionfittingG514

ἐστιν,estinit is,G1510

ὅτιhotibecauseG3754

ὑπεραυξάνειhuperauxaneiis increasing exceedinglyG5232

ἡhētheG3588

πίστιςpistisfaithG4102

ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771

καὶkaiandG2532

πλεονάζειpleonazeiis aboundingG4121

ἡhētheG3588

ἀγάπηagapēloveG26

ἑνὸςhenosof oneG1520

ἑκάστουhekastoueachG1538

πάντωνpantōnof allG3956

ὑμῶνhumōnyouG4771

εἰςeistoG1519

ἀλλήλους·allēlousone another;G240

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Thessalonians 1:3

2 Peter 3:18
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
2 Peter 1:5-10
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. …
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Isaiah 40:29-31
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Philippians 1:9
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
1 Thessalonians 4:1
Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1 Thessalonians 3:12
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
John 15:2
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Romans 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

are.
2:13; Ro 1:8; 1Co 1:4; 1Th 1:2,3; 3:6,9
as is.
Lu 15:32; Php 1:7; 2Pe 1:13
your.
Job 17:9; Ps 84:7; 92:13; Pr 4:18; Isa 40:29-31; Lu 17:5; Joh 15:2
Php 1:9; 1Th 4:1,9,10; 1Pe 1:22; 2Pe 1:5-10; 3:18
groweth.The word, [huperauxano ,] from [huper ,] intensive, and [auxano ,] to grow, increase, signifies, as Dr. Clarke remarks, to grow luxuriantly, as a good and healthy tree in a good soil; and, if a fruit tree, bearing an abundance of fruit to compensate the labour of the husbandman. Faith is one of the seeds of the kingdom: this the Apostle had sowed and watered, and God gave an abundant increase. Their faith was multiplied, and their love abounded: and this was not the case with some distinguished characters only; it was the case with every one of them. For this the apostle felt himself bound to give continual thanks to God on their behalf, as it was "meet" and right.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Thessalonians 1:2
Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2 Thessalonians 1:4
So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Read all of 2 Thessalonians 1

2 Thessalonians 1:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Debemos siempre dar gracias á Dios de vosotros, hermanos, como es digno, por cuanto vuestra fe va creciendo, y la caridad de cada uno de todos vosotros abunda entre vosotros;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Nous devons toujours rendre grâces à Dieu pour vous, frères, comme il est juste, parce que votre foi augmente beaucoup et que l’amour de chacun de vous tous, l’un pour l’autre, abonde,
German Elberfelder 1871	Wir sind schuldig, Brüder, Gott allezeit für euch zu danken, wie es billig ist, weil euer Glaube überaus wächst, und die Liebe jedes einzelnen von euch allen gegeneinander überströmend ist,
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Gratias agere debemus semper Deo pro vobis, fratres, ita ut dignum est, quoniam supercrescit fides vestra, et abundat caritas uniuscujusque vestrum in invicem: